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Hasakah, Syria – The governor of Hasakah province, Mohamed Za’al Ali, met with a number of government employees and teachers in the town of Tel Brak (40 km northeast of Hasakah), in northeastern Syria, to discuss the possibility of returning to work after months of suspension for crisis-related reasons.

Speaking to ARA News, S.H., a teacher in the town, said (on the condition of anonymity) that during his meeting with the suspended employees, the governor asked them to return to the town at the beginning of next month, threatening the violators with dismissal if they did not commit to the regulations.

“You will return even if your offices have been turned into rubble,” the source quoted the governor as saying.

The source added that dozens of teachers in the area left Syria for neighboring countries, especially after the closure of schools due to attacks by the Islamic State group (IS/ISIS) in the area.

“Some teaching professionals left their areas directly after the withdrawal of the Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG ) last year,” the source said, pointing out that people feared the wrath of IS radicals as a result of the security vacuum in the town of Tel Brak.

The Kurdish forces regained the town of Tel Brak after forcing IS militants to withdraw following fierce clashes last month.

Rizan Khalaf, civil rights activist, told ARA News in Tel Brak that a state of calmness prevails the region as all roads were reopened in the countryside of the town.

“Normal life gradually returns to the town and many displaced civilians started coming back home,” he said, adding that during the IS control over the town “only gunmen were wandering the streets and public institutions”.

The Syrian government still continues paying employees’ salaries including school teachers who are primarily suffering due to unrest in the region, which caused the displacement of dozens to either safer areas or to one of the neighboring countries.

Noteworthy, the Asayish forces (security arm of the Democratic Union Party “PYD”) issued a statement last week calling for volunteers to join the ranks of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the town of Tel Brak.